There are sooooo many reasons to love Katharine Hamnett!
…because she has been sassy forever, advising the world on all the biggest issues via slogan t-shirts: From CHOOSE LIFE in 1981 to CHOOSE LOVE in 2017 with EDUCATION NOT MISSILES, WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW, PEACE, SAVE THE WORLD, SAVE OUR SEAS, SAVE THE FUTURE and CANCEL BREXIT to name just a few others.
…because she campaigned voraciously for sustainability and social responsibility in the fashion industry from 1989 making her an ethical fashion pioneer. Read her short and simple commitment to ethical manufacture here, which shows exactly what’s wrong with the hugely lengthy and complex ethical policies of most mainstream fashion retailers. ie they use a load of words to say nothing!
…because when her hugely popular licensed slogans and garments were unable to be manufactured in a way that met her standards she chose to withdraw from mainstream fashion and concentrate on activism, campaigning and charity work.
…because even though there has been progress on environmental and social fronts, there is a load still to do, and she’s STILL out there doing it.
…because style icons like Mick Jagger, Princess Diana and Madonna adored her way back when.
…AND because she came striding back into mainstream fashion with a timelessly chic, unisex range in 2017 and earned a whole new generation of fans (and yes, of course it’s sustainable and ethically produced (in Italy).
Her latest offerings are as fresh as her style was in the 80’s. Katharine Hamnett garments are well made and built to last both in appearance and durability. Classic pieces like women’s white shirts, well cut blazers and tailored denim sit alongside stunning day-to-evening silk pieces and her hallmark activist t-shirts. Menswear appears largely utilitarian: organic cotton sweats and t’s, the coolest in long-life work trousers and outerwear… but be prepared for some flamboyant surprises like the Redford red silk onesie?!?
